Sheriff: Nude, bloody man on drugs charged with manslaughter

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Deputies found Donald Richard Lawyer III (left) nude and covered in blood early Wednesday morning in Seal Rock, the sheriff's office said. He has since been charged with second degree manslaughter in the disappearance of Michael Ryan Lanpheare (right) of Newport.

SEAL ROCK, Ore. - A man found naked and bloody under the influence of drugs along Highway 101 faces a charge of manslaughter in connection with the disappearance of a man who vanished along the Oregon Coast, the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said.

Lawyer was treated for hypothermia and injuries at the hospital but left before undergoing a mental health evaluation. The sheriff's office tracked him down and took him into protective custody, later booking him into jail on a charge of disorderly conduct.

The investigation into how Lawyer wound up naked, bloody and on drugs in Seal Rock led detectives to believe he was connected to the disappearance of Michael Ryan Lanpheare, 37, of Newport, the sheriff's office said.

The Lincoln County Major Crime Team activated and searched the beach and surf area of Seal Rock near Seal Rock State Park, the sheriff's office said.

Lincoln County Search and Rescue, the US Coast Guard and Oregon State Parks assisted with the search, to no avail.

The sheriff's office said their investigation, statements made by Lawyer and the search of the area did produce evidence leading to the arrest of Lawyer for Manslaughter in the Second Degree. Bail was set at $300,000.

Meanwhile, tsearch for Michael Lanpheare continues, with emphasis along the Oregon shoreline of Lincoln County, the sheriff's office said.